You are here

Trek to the Nation's Christmas Tree in Kings Canyon National Park on December 12

Share

The annual holiday trek to the "Nation's Christmas Tree" is scheduled for December 12. NPS photo.

How better to kick off the year-end holiday season than with a snowy trek to the nation's Christmas tree in Kings Canyon National Park?

The General Grant sequoia in the park was designated the nation's Christmas tree back in 1926 by President Calvin Coolidge. Ever since there's been a fun holiday ceremony to lay a wreath at the base of the tree. The 85th journey for that celebration will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on December 12 this year.

Co-sponsored by the Sanger District Chamber of Commerce and the National Park Service, the event will include the Jubilation Singers, Sanger High School Choir, a non-denominational holiday message, and a wreath-laying ceremony.

Access to the park for the event will be free from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. on that day. To reach Kings Canyon by vehicle, take Highway 180 east from Fresno for approximately 55 miles.

The ceremony itself is at the base of the General Grant Tree, a ¼-mile walk from the parking lot. Visitors are strongly advised to check on road and weather conditions in advance and be prepared for wintry conditions. Walking surfaces may be slippery and snowy. For recorded messages on weather and road conditions, call 559-565-3341 and press 4.

Given limited parking at the grove, a free shuttle service will be available from the Kings Canyon Visitor Center parking area to the trail to the Grant Tree Trail. Allow an extra 30 minutes if you plan to use this in-park shuttle service. In addition, a shuttle bus to the park from Sanger, California, is available with a fee and by reservation (559-875-4575).

In 1956, the tree was also established as the only living national shrine, honoring those who gave their lives in service to our country. During the ceremony conducted by the Sanger Chamber of Commerce, the National Park Service will place a large wreath at the base of the tree as a memorial to those men and women.

Comments

We attended this event last year and it was wonderful. I highly recommend it!


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.